A pint with the Bard

"All the world's a stage, and the people merely players".  Having realized that the original stage of one of the most famous playwrights in history was a mere 2 hours away, this player decided to make the journey to Stratford-upon-Avon, the birth, and death, place of William Shakespeare.  First impressions are sometimes not worth a lot, as I stepped off the train to be met with a vast parking lot of a local supermarket chain, but as I made my way into the town, I soon pleasently greeted by a quaint, bustling pedistrian street lined with pubs and small shops, like most English country towns.  I quickly noticed how ingrained Shakespeare is to this town, as quotes from his plays and sonnets decorate the buildings throughout town, and there are statues of his characters scattered about.

Going a bit backwards in my touring, my first hour was spent strolling along the river Avon, soaking up the rare day of February sunshine until reaching the Holy Trinity Church, family church of the Shakespeare's and his final resting place.  The church had one of the prettiest yards I have seen, with the trees dotted among the gravestones overlooking the river.  The church itself was striking, but modest.  And the alter area, where Shakespeare is buried was respectfully peaceful, even with the spattering of visitors.  What I found most interesting was the original records of baptism and burial of Shakespeare that were on display, next to the baptismal font that was in use during the 16th century.  It was a very tasteful display, with not a lot of pomp to it.

Having seen the end, I headed back into the town center to visit Shakespeare's birthplace.  The house is still standing in its originial location on Henley Street, and the guides were very certain to point out what parts of the house were thought to be present during Shakespeare's life (most of the ground level, including the stone floor....so I really did walk in Shakespeare's footsteps!) and what had been added during the 17th and 18th century renovations (the upper level).  The house has been visited by Shakespeare's fans since the 1800's and became an official museum late in that century.  The most interesting thing I realized from the visit to the birthplace, is how Shakespeare, unlike so many other writers of his time, was well known and respected for his work during his life.  So the town has really been a homage to him for centuries, rather then a modern-day shrine that was erected in the last few decades. 

 After the forced journey through the gift shop, and stopping at the local tavern for some ale and lunch, I skipped the tourist buses, and took the mile journey to Anne Hathaway's cottage by foot.  The cottage is deemed as one of the most romantic cottages in England, and is the site of Shakespeare's courtship of his future bride.  The cottage, tucked away in a tiny village, in the woods and along a narrow stream, was truely an idyllic setting.  There was even a wedding being performed on the grounds during my visit!   As it is still winter, the orchards were bare, and there were only the beginnings of flowers starting to poke out of the earth.  I would very much like to come back during the summer to see the cottage in its full bloom.

At this time, my visit to Stratford was coming to a close, and I had time for a quick cup of coffee before heading back to the train.  I learned quite a bit about Shakespeare, his life, and his times during my day.  Now, off to find a use of the book of Shakespearean insults I might have picked up........

Introduction to the Balkans

When I initially told people back home that I was heading to Belgrade for work, the reaction was hesitant at best, and downright concerned at worst.  After all, most of our associations with the city stemmed from the NATO bombings in 1999 and the ousting of Milošević in 2000.   And even I have to admit, my first impressions of the city did not leave a great impression.  But what I soon found, is that even though it has held a bad reputation, Belgrade (and Serbia) is well on the way of shaking off its past.

Staying in Central Belgrade, I found the people to be friendly and the city to be very easily navigated by foot.   The first full night there, Sarah and I wandered through the streets, taking in a few beautifully lit buildings among mostly drab and grey dwellings.   I would not call the city pretty, but it was uncomfortable either.   We headed towards the pedestrian area which was full of people and shops, and offered a lively atmosphere.   Upon seeing that the temperature was -7C, we headed into a recommended restaurant and enjoyed some surprisingly impressive Serbian cuisine.   There was definitely Hungarian and Greek influences in our dishes, but I have to say that the food is one of the best I have had in my trips.

The next day, we got out of work a bit earlier, and so we took advantage of the late afternoon daylight to head down to the Temple of Saint Sava, the largest Orthodox Church in the Balkans.  The temple is visible over tops of the buildings and its size was even more impressive as we approached.   There was a good deal of reconstruction going on inside, so we only ducked in for a minute, but I am so happy to have seen it in the daylight!  From the temple, we headed towards the Parliament building.  This time, night had fallen, but the building was still impressive.   Again, we were starting to feel the cold (-8C!), so we headed back to our new favorite eating spot....hey, why mess with a good thing!

My visit to Belgrade was very much a lesson in not judging a book by its cover (sorry for the cliche!) or in this case, not judging a city by its past.   I was surprised at how much I warmed up to the city (figuratively, not literally....it was damn cold!!).  I am not sure that I would name Belgrade among the top cities to go back to, but I am so very happy I experienced it.  And having a taste of the Balkans, I definitely want to experience more!